Shorter processing times, larger order volumes

Jobro Plåtkomponenter AG specializes in the manufacture of sheet-metal parts. Tebis enabled the company to significantly reduce its processing times while significantly increasing order volumes. "We’ve become known among the major industrial operations in the country for our expertise, flexibility and speed," says Tobias Ludvigsson, part owner and managing director of the Swedish company in Ulricehamn.

Both laser cutting of the sheet-metal drawing part as well as fixture design for part positioning can be determined using Tebis.

Jobro Plåtkomponenter processes orders in small to medium-sized manufacturing series. The company provides both laser-cut blanks as well as components with complex geometry and performs pressing and welding work as well as assembly. However, Jobro’s focus is on prototypes and preproduction runs for complex parts.

Founders Tobias Ludvigsson and Christer Kallin had already decided 12 years ago to focus on the production of prototypes and preproduction runs in the company, which they established in 1993. They regarded the growth potential at that time as especially high for this sector. The entrepreneurs were right: "Our strategy of working with prototypes has proven to be correct." We’ve grown from five employees in 2001 to our present 35. We’ve increased our revenues by 30% per year for many years in a row since the mid-2000s. We even achieved a revenue increase of 100% in 2011," Ludvigsson says happily.

The company has always relied on and continuously expanded its ultramodern machinery to reduce processing time and to ensure flexibility in the event of design changes during development. Roughly one year ago, Jobro Plåtkomponenter decided to further optimize its powerful machinery with Tebis CAD/CAM systems. Fredrik Alkner, a designer at Jobro, confirms that this decision was right on the money: Tebis enabled us to halve the time for machine programming and to therefore accept orders that we would have previously had to turn down, because the customers were demanding fast delivery and short processing times. The quicker we can manufacture our prototypes and preproduction series, the more competitive we are on the market." He also adds: "Tebis provides powerful, sophisticated functions that enable us to optimize manufacturing processes.

Designer Fredrik Alkner with Per Gisslar from Tebis Scandinavia. The optimal CAD/CAM system ensures satisfied customers: Significant time can be saved throughout manufacturing, resulting in shorter processing times.

Jobro had its first experience with Tebis through Tebis Scandinavia AB. Per Gisslar comments on Tebis AG's Swedish subsidiary: "We had already completed several consulting orders before Ludvigsson and Jobro decided on Tebis. We had received prototype drawings in digital format and needed to prepare the die prototypes and files for processing. The colleagues at Jobro were quite impressed when we presented our results to them."

Apparently the personnel from Jobro were not only impressed, they were also convinced by Tebis. The decision to use Tebis was also influenced by the fact that it is used by well-known manufacturers like Audi, BMW, Daimler, Opel, Porsche and VW. All of these processes have to be very intelligently structured from A to Z in order to compete with lower-wage countries. Tebis' CAD/CAM systems are entrusted with doing exactly that.

Johan Skattberg in Tebis Programming. With just a few mouse clicks, he designs the supports and baseplate for a perfectly fitting setup device based on the part specifications.

Alkner reports that he could very quickly perform the work with templates to accelerate programming and milling. "Templates ensure the optimal milling paths with the best stepovers and cutting depths. If I'm not happy with specific aspects of a machining step, I just change the template. The problem is already corrected in the next pass. There are hardly any limits to automation, because the templates are continuously adjusted and improved. The die parts are supplied on one day and are already in the press on the next. This is the key to our economic success. To assume a leading market position, you have to work quickly and you especially need to deliver on time." The designer has prepared a variety of templates for different applications: for example, for different steel and aluminum types, different customers, stepovers, cutting speeds and depths and for various surface-finishing requirements. The templates allow the quick calculation of NC programs for each machine. The machines now run significantly more efficiently, with the result that production processing times were reduced by nearly 30%.

Roughing an aluminum workpiece: Most of the work is done using various manufacturing templates; step speed is optimized and refined.

Quote

Tebis enabled us to halve the time for machine programming and to therefore accept orders that we would have previously had to turn down.

Features

Focus:

Standardization with templates

Benefits:

Optimal milling paths

Shorter processing times in production

Greater reliability

Sector:

Model making, Automotive

Company:

Jobro Plåtkomponenter AG

Location:

Ulricehamn, Sweden

Interviewee:

Fredrik Alkner

Position:

Designer

Published:

2013

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